As of Late
by Goddess-of-da-Cheeseburgers
Summary: Sometimes, you just run out of gas. \KevinxBen. PUT ON YOUR GAY-GOGGLES, KIDS!/
1. Routine

My latest obsession, kids. Ben 10: Alien Force. More specifically, BeVin. This is my frist real Ben 10 fic that I finished, so updates will be mostly regular until it's finished.

I don't own Ben 10: Alien Force.

x-posted at the Ben 10 x Kevin 11 community on livejournal under the username of thetonberry.

And awaaaaaaay we go!

* * *

As of late, their mornings had fallen into a routine

As of late, their mornings had fallen into a routine. The sun would shine in someone's face. Someone would attempt to block out the light and only succeed in smacking someone else. Someone would groan, someone would swear, and, eventually, they'd all sit up.

There would be much back-cracking and eye-rubbing and incoherent grumbles until Gwen would finally climb over one of the boys with her uniform in hand, not caring who she flashed on the way out of the car. She would wave, mutter a sleepy "later, guys," and then tap on her shoes before crossing the street to a little diner owned by a snappy lady named "Flo."

Ben went next, tugging on his wrinkled "Bernie's Gas" shirt. It was a short walk across the parking lot to the convenience store, and Kevin would watch him go before climbing out of the car himself. He would fish around under the seat for his own gas station shirt, eventually finding it twisted around the brake, and pull it on.

These uncomfortable mornings were followed by long days of waiting tables, selling candy bars, and pumping gas. No one was really all that happy, but they needed the money. Kevin was reminded of that every time he pumped over forty dollars worth of gas into some geezer's rusty old pick-up truck. For almost four bucks a gallon, that occurred annoyingly often.

On their collective lunch break, the trio would meet up and sit on a misplaced an malformed picnic table behind the gas station to share whatever freebies Ben picked up from the minimart. Three small bags of broken chips and a diet Pepsi someone left on the counter were all they had between them, but they passed the soda around dutifully.

It was rare for anyone to try and start a conversation these days, they had run out of things to talk about after the third day. Now, as Ben shook the bottle, swishing the last of the Pepsi at his two companions, Kevin finally snapped. Throwing all logic out the window, he bellowed the first thing that came to mind.

"Why are we here?!" The mutant slammed fist on the table in a fit of rage, which earned him a handful of splinters scattered up and down his arm. Gwen jumped visibly, but Ben only shrugged, "Wise men have pondered that question for ages." He handed the nearly empty bottle to Kevin, "As for why we're _here_, behind the gas station in the middle of bumfuck nowhere..."

Kevin swigged the last of the soda and chucked the bottle over his shoulder before flexing his hand. Wood grain replaced skin for a moment before shifting back, splinter free, "Yeah, I know. We ran out of gas, we ran out of money, and our bosses are cheapskates." He plucked a sliver of wood out of his sleeve while Ben mused, "Are we even making minimum wage here?"

The teenagers contemplated this quietly, the glum silence broken only by a crow's lonely squawk. Eventually, Gwen stood up and plucked a few splinters out of her stained mauve skirt. Her declaration of "I've got to get back to work..." was unnecessary, but she said it anyway before leaving. Ben waited until she turned the corner before leaning his head against the other boy's shoulder. Kevin, who had been systematically crushing ants with his fingertips, sighed faintly, "I'm beginning to see why some people never get out of these one horse towns." He ceased his attacks on the ants and wrapped an arm around Ben's shoulders, allowing the tiny insects to nibble away at their sour cream and onion crumbs, "I'm getting sick and tired of this place..." He muttered softly.

It was Ben's turn to sigh, "We're falling so far behind..." He trailed off, having made this speech everyday since they'd pushed the car half a mile to the tiny rural town they were currently sleeping in Kevin's car and working for peanuts. '_We're stuck in the kind of rural town where there are gas stations owned by guys named Bernie and diners owned by an old ladies named Flo. The kind of rural town without a decent cup of coffee for miles. The kind of rural town where people don't pump their own gas. The kind of rural town where children come running out of cornfields, laughing demonically. The kind of rural town where—'_

Ben stopped his mental rant when he noticed Kevin staring at him amusedly, "...I was saying that out loud, wasn't I?" Kevin only grinned wider before pressing a chaste kiss to Ben's forehead.

'_...The kind of rural town where two guys aren't supposed to be...like us.'_

They went back to work a few minutes later, Kevin leaning against an old-fashioned gas pump and Ben leaning against a scratched countertop. At least the convenience store was air conditioned...Kevin was outside in the heat. Ben felt bad for him, sweating like a pig in the 90 degree weather. Actually...Ben felt bad for Gwen more. She was the one that had to put up with their combined "stinky manstench." Then again, she wasn't smelling like a basket of roses either...Going a few days without a shower was just an unpleasant side effect of driving only the back roads in search of Plumbers' kids. The lack of proper hygiene was probably also why their tip jars were as pitifully empty as their stomachs.

Kevin, ironically, had been contemplating the same thing. He had filched a road map of where-ever-the-hell-they-were and had been tracing his finger along the inked roads by the flickering light of the gas station sign at nights before they all dropped into a tired and uncomfortable sleep. He'd found dozens of trucker stops, but no real hotels with real showers. The dark-haired teen was snapped out of his reverie as a shiny minivan pulled up. Putting on his "roguish charm" smile, he went about doing his job while a middle-aged woman went about dragging her screaming son into the convenience store. Kevin flinched and glanced over his shoulder at the pair.

'_...Sorry, Benji.'_

Thirty minutes, one full tank, six clean windows, and four inflated tires later, the woman dragged her son, who was placated to the point of whining as opposed to screaming, out of the convenience store and drove off without a word or tip. Five minutes and one chewed-off hangnail later, Ben slouched out of the minimart...Covered in what appeared to be a half-melted Code Red slushie.

* * *

Like I said, this is already finished and posted at the lj comm. Go there if you want to read it all in one shot. If you want to wait, I'll be posting this once a week, probably on Fridays or Saturdays if possible.

_**If favorites are the icing on the cake, then reviews are the stripper inside!**_


	2. Strip Tease

Aaaaaaand...IT'S BACK. I found a limited wireless connection, so, while I can't watch videos on youtube, I CAN post my po...Literature.

Disclaimers: I don't own it. I want to, but I don't.

* * *

Kevin could barely hold back his laughter. In fact, he didn't even try. The mutant was leaning against a cement post for support when he was nailed squarely in the forehead by a slushie-soaked sneaker. Rubbing the sticky red juice off his face, Kevin finally conquered his fit of laughter, "Dude...What _happened_?"

Ben scowled, "That..._Kid_ happened." He crossed his arms, cringed, and then uncrossed them, "The little brat threw a temper tantrum when he found out we were out of Sumo Slammer cards. Then, he threw his Slurpee at me. The mom refused to buy another one and made me give them a free one."

Kevin picked up the now stained pink shoe and tossed it to the other teen, "Sucks. It coming out of your check?"

Ben's scowl turned more thoughtful as he caught the footwear, "I dunno, man. Mr. B made me clean it up, though. Luckily, most of the crap got on me instead of on the floor." He plucked at the shirt, which was making a very valiant attempt at adhering to his flesh, "I'm gonna need a few bucks to wash this at the Laundromat, should I do yours and Gwen's uniforms too while I'm at it?"

Shrugging, Kevin tugged gingerly at Ben's sleeve, "I guess, but you should get rinsed off first. There's a hose out back by the dumpster..." Ben was already peeling his sopping wet shirt off and walking around back before Kevin finished the sentence. Kevin grabbed the threadbare towel they used for drying off windows and followed him, still chuckling.

Tossing his shirt and shoe on the picnic table, Ben kicked off his other sneaker and began struggling out of his jeans, cursing whatever deity of denim decided to make the material cling viciously to skin when wet. Hopping around awkwardly, he finally managed to slip out of his jeans and tumble against the wall in one graceless movement. A slow clap started up behind him, causing Ben to turn around with a bright flush on his cheeks. Kevin stood there with a shit-eating grin in place and a towel over one arm. Since throwing articles of clothing at people seemed to be in vogue this year, the brunet chucked his pants at the other teen. The attack was ineffective, though, as the jeans just sort of...flopped.

Kevin scooped the pants up with his toe and tossed them over to the picnic table, "I've seen better strip-teases, Benji. You need practice." The raven-haired teen waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ben only blushed darker. Sure, they had done..._It_. (His fifteen-year-old mind refused to acknowledge sex as anything but "_It_") They had done _It _twice already, back when they had been able to afford hotel rooms. But ever since they had started living out of the Mustang a few weeks ago, Kevin had put a sudden stop on his discreet flirting with Ben and gone back to making goo-goo eyes at Gwen. The insecure part of the brunet had begun to panic.

Turning over these thoughts in his mind, Ben was shocked out of his meditation by a warm, wet sensation traveling from the hollow of his throat up to his ear. A faint gasp slipped past the teens lips, and Kevin pulled back with a smirk and licked his lips, "I think I like blue raspberry slushies better." He squeezed the trigger of the hose and blasted Ben's chest with icy cold water at point blank.

Ben gasped again, shocked rather than aroused, and wrapped his arms around his thin torso, "K-Kevin! What the hell, man!?"

Kevin stepped back and brandished the hose threateningly, "Lose the boxers, or you'll be walking around for the rest of the day looking like you pissed yourself." He still had..._That look_ on his face. The smirk he wore before or after _It_.

Praying to whatever god looked out for boys covered in Slurpees, Ben quickly slipped out of his boxers and tossed them in the general direction of the rest of his clothing. He gave Kevin a sharp look, "Hurry up, public nudity isn't exactly my thing."

Kevin only shrugged, "You shouldn't knock it 'til you've tried it." He turned the spray nozzle to a gentler setting before squeezing the handle again. Though the cool water was a welcome relief from the hot weather, Ben was soon shivering from cold. He wrapped his arms around himself and began shooting Kevin pointed looks that stated something along the lines of "Turn off the fucking hose RIGHT NOW."

The raven-haired teen, however, was in an entirely different world. He watched the water droplets beading up on Ben's tan shoulders, trickling down his neck, chest, torso...Further down...He didn't quite notice when Ben stepped out of the spray and grabbed his hand, turning the hose around to spray icy water right in his face. Sputtering indignantly, Kevin glared at the naked brunet in front of him.

"You were staring." Was Ben's simple defense. Kevin blew a lock of wet hair out of his face and grumbled under his breath. Ben only grabbed the towel off Kevin's arm and wrapped it around his waist.

* * *

Having a slurpee thrown at you sucks. My favorite part of this is Kevin's hint at public nudity being fun.

...It really is, you know...But only if you don't get caught.

**If faves are the icing on the cake, then reviews are the stripper inside!**


	3. Laundromat

It rained when I was at Disney World. Do you all realize how much that _sucks_?

Disclaimer: Have I done one of these yet? Well, I should hope that it's pretty obvious that I don't own this show or these characters.

* * *

Thirty minutes after Ben's impromptu shower, the three teens all got off work and immediately gathered at the local Laundromat. They had agreed that all of their uniforms and street clothes needed to be washed, but were only willing to fork over just enough cash to do one load of laundry. Gwen now sat hunched over on one of the benches in front of their washer, wearing a thin white undershirt of Ben's and a pair of Kevin's spare jeans with Kevin's rarely-worn green jacket wrapped tightly around her. Ben sat on the washing machine across from her, shirtless and wearing Kevin's other pair of spare Levi's, though these were covered in what looked suspiciously like old blood stains.

Kevin himself, having loaned out both pairs of auxiliary pants and his jacket, leaned casually against a washer with a towel tied around his waist and nothing more. Nothing was said between the three of them, each choosing to suffer in silence instead of force and awkward conversation. A few minutes passed. Ben was trying not to state at Kevin. Kevin was trying not to stare a Ben. There was a lot of not-staring going on. Gwen's eyebrow twitched.

A loud buzz from the machine started all three, causing them to stare at the washing machine. After a moment of staring, Ben slipped off the machine and opened the front, pulling out a handful of wet clothing. Buttoning up Kevin's jacket, Gwen stood to help. Kevin, however, remained standing where he was. There had already been three towel-related fiascos in the past fifteen minutes, and the middle-aged man tending the counter was glaring at the mutant as if daring him to move.

Across the room, Ben and Gwen were putting their clothes in a dryer. Once that process was complete, Gwen sat down on the bench opposite of the machine while Ben perched back on top and slid a few coins in. Only after the counter attendant looked back to his book did Kevin straighten up to walk slowly and carefully across the room, gripping the towel firmly with both hands. He may not have minded public nudity, but Gwen's furious glares were scorching enough to make anyone feel cautious.

Waiting for ones only set of clothes to dry takes a miserable amount of time. Kevin found himself humming idly along with the tinny elevator music streaming through the speakers. Ben was kicking his feet out childishly, getting his foot within inches of Gwen's face and causing her to flinch back. After an eternity of bad air conditioning, the dryer buzzed loudly and Ben hopped off. Ducking into the dryer, he pulled out an armful of clothes and dropped them on top. Gwen began to pick through to find her clothes, accepting the stocking that had fallen to the floor from Ben and hiding her bra in the front pocket of Kevin's jacket in one fluid motion. They say that magic is the art of misdirection, after all.

When Ben had completely emptied the dryer, he and Kevin began picking through the remaining clothes. Boxers were sorted, swapped, and sorted again. Socks were peeled off of jeans and t-shirts, and the uniforms were tossed aside. Kevin slipped off to the men's' restroom to get dressed while Gwen disappeared into the ladies' room to change. Pulling his own shirt over his head, the remaining hero began folding the remaining clothes. Uniforms, jeans, a few undershirts, and any other article of clothing that happened to be in Kevin's trunk at the time, a mix of t-shirts and shorts purchased for the three of them when there was a fashion emergency of some sort...Like blood, gore, and burns. The brunet stuffed their street clothes into an old paper Safeway bag, setting the uniforms aside.

It was nearing 6:00 when they left the Laundromat, Gwen offering to hold the uniforms and Kevin being forced to carry the regular clothes, since Ben was the one that folded them. Now, with clothes stored safely in Kevin's trunk, the three were sprawled on the patch of grass in front of the car. Tossing down a wad of bills, the redhead grinned.

"We have over a hundred and fifty right here. That's enough to get us gas and food for at least a few more days. Then, we can hit a bank somewhere else and I can make a withdrawal on mom's emergency bank card." She hurried to gather the money back up into an envelope, lest the wind blow it away.

Ben raised himself up on his elbows, "Yeesh, Gwen, you stripping in there or something? Kevin and I probably only make about ten bucks a week at Bernie's!" Gwen pulled up a tuft of grass and tossed it at her cousin's forehead.

Kevin grinned and nudged Ben's bare foot with his own, "Hey, I make 11 bucks a week, Benny!" Ben sat up fully, spitting dirt out, and grabbed at a handful of gravel. He tossed the pebbles at his two companions before staggering to his feet.

Dusting off Kevin's bloody pants, he hadn't yet changed back to his own, Ben held his hands out, "C'mon, let's go now. We'll turn in our uniforms and leave tonight!" Gwen and Kevin each grabbed one of his hands and, grinning to each other, jerked Ben back to the ground and then stood up on their own.

* * *

Before "Paradox" was shown and Kevin mentioned having a huge party at his "place," I was under the assumption that he lived in his car. Hence why he has spare clothing in the trunk, including a pair of shorts that were apparently soaked in blood at some point. His blood? Someone else's blood? I don't know. I just figured that Kevin isn't the type to throw anything away, no matter how covered in gore it became at some point. when you're living on the edge like him, you can't always afford luxuries like new clothing.

Then again, arms dealing could be a very lucrative business. Maybe I'm on the wrong track with this culinary thing I'm aiming for.

**If faves are the icing on the cake, then reviews are the stripper inside!**


	4. Splurge

Life is either incredibly boring or annoyingly hectic. Currently I'm stuck in the former. Why is there no happy medium?

* * *

The car was dead silent. Kevin had yelled at Ben when the brunet tried to put the cheap gas in the Camaro as opposed to the super-expensive fuel that cost over a dollar more per gallon. Gwen had yelled at Kevin, first for yelling at Ben, then for being so picky about his gas. Everyone had started yelling at each other, and then old man Bernie came out and yelled at all of them to pump their gas and leave.

So Ben had put in the normal gas in the tank and climbed into the backseat, Gwen paid the old man and sat shotgun, and Kevin growled death threats at anyone that made eye contact and gunned the engine. As they drove out of the small town, he stuck his hand out the window and gave anyone that was watching the ever-popular middle-finger-salute. He expected at least some laughter, but the cousins only scowled at him and looked out their respective windows.

Three full hours of silence later, the three teenagers were getting restless. Kevin chewed his lip, not wanting to be the first to give in, but decided to speak anyway, "Gwen, there's an iPod and a car adaptor in the glove box. Plug it in, will ya?"

After a brief moment of silence, Gwen grudgingly opened the glove compartment and began digging through mountains of speeding tickets, a pack of melted juicy fruit, and something that vaguely resembled a seriously tricked out Sega Game Gear before her fingers brushed over a plastic coated cord. Thinking it was the stereo jack, she tugged it out. Dangling from a thick, plastic-coated cord was a heavy padlock. The iPod was tangled in the cord, and Gwen separated them before staring more intently at the lock.

"Kevin...Why do you have a lock in your glove box?" Gwen turned the lock over in her hands, pointedly ignoring small cascade of tickets that had settled around her ankles.

Kevin flashed an unconcerned glance at the trinket before looking back at the road, "It's nothing. Put it back."

Gwen swung the padlock back and forth, "Come on, I know kids lock up their bikes, but I don't think you really need this for a car..."

The mutant's hands tightened on the wheel, "Put. It. Away. Now." He ground out tensely, staring straight ahead. Gwen glanced at the driver, then at her cousin in the rearview mirror. While Kevin was firmly ignoring the item in question, the brunet's green eyes were locked on the...Lock.

Feeling that this was dangerous territory, Gwen replaced the lock and shoveled a few handfuls of tickets back into the glove compartment before shutting it with a quiet click. A tense silence fell on the car and Gwen fumbled to plug the iPod in. Turning the iPod to shuffle, the redhead quickly placed the device in the cup holder and laid her hands in her lap.

A chipper show tune bounced out of the speakers, though it did little to ease the heavy atmosphere in the Camaro. The depressing love song that came next, however, was enough to mellow out the fierce tempers. By this point, the cousins were fairly certain that this was _not _Kevin's own iPod and Gwen was about to question him on it when a loud scream blasted out of the speakers and led into a hard rock song.

Gwen closed her mouth abruptly as Kevin cheered and began singing along. Maybe this _was _his iPod. Disturbed by Kevin's singing, the redhead discreetly pulled out her earplugs just as Ben caught on to the song. One was bad enough, but _both _boys yodeling along to "Crazy Bitch"? That could be enough to kill someone.

At least no one was angry at each other anymore.

--

Pulling up in front of a run-down Days Inn, Kevin turned off the car and stretched his arms out. He grabbed a wadded up ticket and lobbed it back at Ben, who was dozing against the window. The brunet started, opening his eyes blearily and grumbling out a mostly unintelligible question. Kevin tapped Gwen on the shoulder, miming for her to take the earplugs out.

"The music's been off for a while, you know." Kevin grinned, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Gwen did likewise, a faint smirk on her place, "I know, but then Ben started snoring." There was a mumbled protest from the back seat, before Ben leaned forward and rested his chin on Gwen's seat.

"The hell are we?" The brunet slurred dully, trying to rub sleep from his eyes. He'd been having a nice dream, something about bunnies, only to be interrupted by a paper projectile striking him in the eye.

Opening the door, Kevin stretched his legs out as well, "We're at a hotel." He leaned forward to touch his toes, "Tonight, we splurge."

Gwen got out as well and glanced at her watch, "Don't you mean 'This morning, we splurge'? It's already 3:30."

Ben crawled out the driver's side, "accidentally" bumping into Kevin's backside, "Doesn't matter, a bed is a bed." He pressed the heels of his palms to his closed eyes, trying to relieve the pressure there, "And a shower is a shower."

While the cousins were unloading a few articles of clothing from the trunk of the Camaro, Kevin went to check in. He came back out to report two rooms at a price that was only in the double digits, and led them past the blushing girl behind the counter to the elevator. It was obvious that Kevin had "charmed" the attendant into the unbelievably low price.

The elevator zipped to the fourth floor, leaving their stomachs back in the lobby. The trio parted at the very end of the hall, Gwen plucking her key from Kevin's back pocket and bidding the boys good night. Ben reached into Kevin's pocket as well, grabbing a handful of ass while he was at it, and opened the door with the card he found there. Kevin followed the brunet with a lusty smirk, reaching after him. His progress was halted abruptly by a bathroom door slamming in his face. Rubbing his nose, Kevin staggered away to the bed.

_'Damn...So close.'_

* * *

NO SHOWERSEX FOR YOU! But I did give you some nice groping and a lusty smirk from Kevin. Rejoice, because that means I love you all at least a little.


	5. Empty Plastic Cup

Blarg. I can honestly say that I forgot to post this here. It's done at LJ, so I zoned a little bit. Whatever, just read and enjoy, please.

* * *

Ben grinned as he leaned against the bathroom door, hearing Kevin grumble on the other side. Shower now, boyfriend later. Locking the door, Ben turned to examine the array of tiny shampoo bottles and soap bars.

...He'd have to take those with him.

...Just in case.

* * *

Not nearly as disgusted by his own unwashed body, Kevin reclined on the lumpy sofa and turned on the television to some dull news channel. He'd gone for longer without running water. The raven-haired boy propped his feet up on the unsteady coffee table and yawned, tilting his head back to rest against the wall. The exhaustion from long hours of driving combined with the hypnotic sound of running water slowly lulled him into a trance, and the droning of the television soon became only a faint buzz in his ears. In his Zen state, Kevin completely missed the sound of water cutting out, or the bathroom door opening. He wasn't aware of much of anything until a warm weight settled in his lap and began ravaging his exposed neck.

Ben grinned against Kevin's throat, "Miss me? The brunet nipped lightly at the flesh there, eliciting a shiver from Kevin. Letting Ben kiss and nibble at his neck, Kevin lifted his hands to wander up Ben's arms. It was about this point that Kevin realized Ben was wearing nothing but a towel. Sliding his hand up the brunet's damp back and tangling it in the dripping brown hair, Kevin pulled Ben up and captured his lips in a kiss.

Grinding his hips down, Ben took charge in the kiss. He pushed his tongue against Kevin's, easily winning any half-hearted attempt at a battle for dominance that Kevin put up. He explored his boyfriend's mouth, returning to massage Kevin's tongue with his own. Feeling Ben's hardness pressing against his hip, Kevin moaned deeply into the kiss. Though Kevin wasn't used to being topped, he wasn't about to complain to this treatment.

With one hand tangled in Kevin's dirty hair, Ben tugged Kevin away to attack his throat once more. He bit hard at the older boy's pulse point, licking and kissing the bruised area as an apology when Kevin gasped. The mutant gripped Ben's shoulders tightly as he started to suck at the abused spot. Though dimly aware of the fact that he'd have a spectacular hickey to explain the next day, Kevin chose not to care. Instead, he slid his hands down to grope Ben's ass through the thick hotel towel, drawing a moan from Ben that vibrated pleasantly against his throat.

Just as Kevin slipped his thumbs under the coarse edges of the towel, a splash of icy cold water hit him square in the face. Sputtering indignantly, He looked up to see Ben standing there with an empty plastic cup...Fully clothed in pajamas and not writhing in his lap. Shaking water out of his greasy hair, Kevin groaned.

"I think..." Ben said lightly, trailing his eyes down to Kevin's lap, "You'll be wanting to take a _cold_ shower, yes?"

* * *

Freshly showered and dressed in an undershirt and boxers, Kevin jumped onto the bed next to Ben, landing with a bounce on the crisp, itchy sheets. He held up one arm invitingly and Ben happily slipped into his embrace, snuggling up to tuck his head under Kevin's chin. Behind closed doors, Kevin could really be quite affectionate.

Granted, he usually had a _goal _in mind.

Lifting Ben's hand, Kevin pressed his lips against the other boy's knuckles, giving him a chaste kiss on the hand. Slowly, the mutant trailed kisses up Ben's arm, letting his lips brush against the face of the Omnitrix for a moment before moving up. Slightly ticklish, Ben chuckled before asking, "And just how many bad romance movies did you have to watch to inspire this?"

Kevin paused, lips hovering over the inside of his boyfriend's elbow, "A lot." He continued planting sloppy kisses up Ben's arm. In truth, he had only caught a marathon of The Addams Family a few weeks ago. Let Ben believe what he wanted to.

Ben squirmed a bit as Kevin kissed his way up his upper arm. Without thinking, he asked, "And how many of them were with Gwen?" He was surprised at the sharpness of his own words, thought they were meant jokingly.

Kevin paused again, this time in the middle of a fairly complicated maneuver that involved entwining his fingers with Ben's, pulling the brunet chest-to-chest with those entwined hands, and wrapping a leg around the younger boy's hips, all while pressing an open-mouthed kiss on Ben's tanned shoulder. He stayed silent for a moment before asking coolly, "Are you really going to be like that?"

Taking offense at Kevin's tone, Ben hardened his own voice, "Like _what_, Kevin?" He really didn't want the dark-haired boy to stop, but his headstrong personality refused to back down.

Pulling back, Kevin glared at his lover, "Like a jealous bitch." He sat up, releasing Ben's hand, "Because I really don't wanna deal with you if you're gonna act like that."

Pushing himself up as well, Ben clenched his fists, "I'm _sorry_," his tone dripped with sarcasm, "But pardon me for thinking I was old news once you started making goo-goo eyes at Gwen again!"

Kevin's scowl deepened, "Don't get pissy with me, Ben! She was getting suspicious of us, and _you_ wanted to keep it a secret!" He scooted off the bed, ready for anything from a blazing argument to a fist fight.

Ben sat up in his knees, "_I _wanted to keep it a secret? I don't care! I have _enough _secrets to worry about!" He held up his left wrist, "At least ten of them!" The Omnitrix flashed and made an unhappy beep, as if to say "Leave me out of this!" Unfortunately, it went largely unnoticed and the argument continued.

"Look," Kevin snarled, gesturing wildly, "Just because I'm not mooning over you all the ti—"

Ben cut him off with a short, humorless laugh, "There's that word again: '_mooning_'! Who was the first person to say you were mooning over them? Oh, right! _Gwen_!" He crossed his arms tightly.

"Oh for the love of..." Frustrated, Kevin ran a hand through his damp hair, "Listen to me, I don't want her getting in our faces because we're together. And you _know _she will!" He scowled out when Ben opened his mouth to protest.

"How do you know she will?" Ben huffed angrily. Who did he think he was, saying things like that about his cousin?! She never did anything wrong! (Never mind the fact that she was drooling over his boyfriend.)

Kevin groaned angrily, "Ben, she put the kiss of _death _on me! Why do you think I was shouting 'Lame!' after she kissed me on the roof?" At Ben's slightly puzzled glare, he clarified sarcastically, "If a girl kisses a guy, that automatically makes him _hers _in her mind. Anyone else makes a move on him, she goes for the jugular."

"We're _cousins_! Gwen wouldn't—"

"I've seen it happen, Ben!" Kevin scowled, "Family or no, I've seen girls rip each other apart over a guy."

Ben scoffed, "Please, this isn't _Jerry Springer_, you know! Gwen would understand!" He paused thoughtfully before baring his teeth at Kevin in a way that reminded the mutant unpleasantly of Wildmutt, "And I'm not a _girl_!"

Irritated by Ben's stubbornness and blind faith in family ties, Kevin threw his hands up in defeat. Turning away, he scowled, "Fine! I'll be in the bathroom, jacking off. Feel free to join me once you stop being a bitch." The bathroom door slammed, and Ben didn't see Kevin for the rest of the night.

The next morning found Ben curled tightly in the corner of the bed, pillows strewn about and a nest formed by the blankets. After so long spent sleeping in the car, the instinct to curl up to fit on the seat prevailed even when faced with the comforts of a real mattress. He groaned unhappily as he stretched out, feeling his spine pop back into alignment as he arched his back. Glancing about the room for Kevin, (_'Not that I _care_!' _He told himself mulishly) Ben found the other teen sleeping restlessly on the other couch.

Kevin was sprawled over the lumpy sofa, one leg hanging off the arm and his head cocked in a peculiar position. When Gwen knocked loudly at their door, bright eyed and bushy tailed, he jolted awake and cracked his neck in a rather unpleasant fashion. Hissing in pain and rubbing the back of his neck, he stumbled to his feet, having fallen off the couch when Gwen shouted for him.

Ben let his cousin into the room, greeting her a little more cheerfully than usual as if to prove a point to Kevin, before slipping into the bathroom to change quickly. Kevin frowned sourly at the redhead as she settled on the couch and reached for the remote.

Noting his mood, Gwen only grinned, "I take it you lost the fight for the bed?" Kevin grumbled sullenly and grabbed his clothes off the chair, shouldering past Ben as he walked out of the bathroom.

Rubbing his shoulder idly, Ben sat down next to his cousin with a scowl, "He's being a jerk."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Gwen intoned dryly, arching an eyebrow at the brunet.

* * *

I missed the leak of X Equals Ben Plus Two earlier today while I was hanging out with a friend. I'm pretty pissed about that.

_**Insert something witty and begging for reviews here. I'm too tired to do it myself.**_


	6. Lay Down Your Arms

Motherfecking dammit...WHAT DID I PROMISE MYSELF ABOUT WRITING SONGFICS!?

* * *

After a tense breakfast in the lobby, the trio had checked Kevin's badge for any nearby signals. Finding none, they decided to continue on their path back to Bellwood. As with yesterday, Gwen plugged in the iPod and set it to shuffle. It seemed that the irksome piece of machinery was attempting an apology for its' obnoxious song selection of the day before, because it had been playing nothing but quiet instrumentals for the past hour or so.

"You know..." Gwen spoke over the song, "If you guys keep frowning like that, your faces are going to stick that way." She glanced at Kevin, then turned to look at Ben. Seeing that neither was amused by her little quip (In fact, Kevin's frown had deepened and Ben looked offended), she sighed and slumped down in her seat. Getting these two to get along for any period of time was absolutely impossible.

The hours dragged by slowly, Ben fishing a plastic bag full of chips and soda Kevin had "bought" from a vending machine out from under Gwen's seat. He picked through the chips and sodas, finding a package of Gummi bears and a Coke, and flashed Kevin a brief glare in the rearview mirror before opening his candy. Kevin glared back, his eyes returning to the road just in time for him to swerve and avoid a dead rodent.

Kevin pressed down on the gas, taking the next curve dangerously fast. He barely missed the large Fed Ex truck coming around the bend, tuning out Ben's muffled cough and Gwen's demands that he slow down. Back roads were made for speeding on! Who did she think she was to yell at him? His boyfriend? Closing his eyes briefly in an attempt to block out the sheer stupidity of that thought, Kevin shook his head. Upon opening his eyes again, he had to swerve to avoid more road kill. Gwen could gripe all she wanted; back roads were made for driving fast.

_'Lay down your arms...'_

Gwen glanced at the iPod with interest, "First song with words all morning..." She mumbled bemusedly.

Ben twisted up the candy bag and stuffed it in his recently emptied soda bottle. He stuck it under Gwen's seat, not sure if he was going to clean it out himself later or force Kevin to pick up after him just for spite. For now, the brunet was content to kick off his shoes to sit cross-legged and glare daggers at the back of Kevin's head.

Slowing down to go over an old bridge, Kevin glanced in the rearview to see Ben glaring at him. He could glare all he wanted, it wouldn't change the fact that Kevin was right about...About...What had they been arguing about last night? Whatever. Kevin's neck hurt and he needed to be angry at someone about that!

_'...There ain't no reason for you to declare war on the one that loves you so...'_

Out of the corner of her eye, Gwen noted Kevin jump a little in his seat and stare blankly at the iPod. A quick glance behind her confirmed Ben was staring at it as well. Okay, that was a little weird. A few more lines played out, soft words of love and war, backed by little "Sha-la-la"s and a harmony of voices.

"I'm sorry."

The sound of Ben's voice made Gwen jump. Incredulously, she turned back to stare at Ben, who was fiddling with his sleeves. The brunet looked up, staring directly at Kevin in the mirror.

"I don't know if you're right or not, but I shouldn't have been so stupid about it." Ben sighed, "I was being an asshole about everything."

Kevin regarded him in the mirror with a mix of uncertainty and curiosity, "Yeah, you kinda were."

"Don't push it, Levin." Ben warned mildly, though his words held no bite, "I apologized, didn't I?"

_'...Use your arms to squeeze and please cos I'm the one that loves you so...'_

Kevin gave a small smile, "It's cool, man. I shouldn't have said what I did, but I was pretty pissed by then."

Ben smiled back as the last few notes played out.

Head snapping back and forth as if she was watching a tennis game, Gwen could only stare at them, mystified. Those two went from hating each other to being buddies again in almost no time flat. Glancing at the upside-down iPod in the cup holder, she smiled wryly, _'I guess music really can _ _soothe the savage beasts.'_

* * *

Ben leaned forward in the back seat, staring intently at the giant, grainy image projected on the screen before them. A young woman walked out timidly, staring into the dimly lit apartment with blind eyes. She reached out, trying to feel something, anything, to guide her through the apartment. Suspenseful music built up as she took a few more steps and stumbled over a man's body, coming to a crescendo as the man rose and leapt out of the shadows and caught the woman's ankle in a vice-like grip. Gwen screamed and grabbed Kevin's hand, squeezing her eyes shut in terror. While less vocal about his own fright, the hand Ben had discreetly rested on Kevin's shoulder squeezed tightly. Only Kevin seemed calm, watching the screen with an amused grin. After a few moments of panicked scrabbling, the screen went completely black.

A police car wailed up the street on the screen, and Kevin flashed Gwen a wry smile, "You've successfully cut off the blood flow to my hand, Gwen..." Surprised, she released him with a mumble of apology. Ben noted smugly that Kevin hadn't asked _him _to let go.

Watching the ending of the film play out, Ben mindlessly began rubbing slow, small circles in Kevin's shoulder, occasionally sliding his fingers up to brush against Kevin's neck or curl through black hair. The credits began to roll, playing a quiet, jazzy song, and multiple cars started honking their horns as a form of applause.

Kevin laughed, honking as well, and turned to look at the cousins, "Well? What'cha think?"

Gwen shuddered, "I think I won't be turning the lights off anytime soon." She wrapped her arms around herself, "Couldn't we have seen something less freaky?"

Ben grinned, "Like what? _Nightmare on Elm Street_?" He looked at the flyer sitting on the dashboard, "Because that's up next, if you're interested."

Gwen only groaned, "'Horror Night.' I let you two talk me into 'Horror Night' at the drive-in..." She opened the door, "Fine, popcorn run, anybody want anything?"

The boys immediately prattled off a list of demands, naming just about every item available at concessions. Gwen waited patiently for them to finish.

"Right, Large popcorn it is." The redhead slipped out of the car and walked off across the dirt parking lot to the little snack shack.

Ben watched her go, smiling as the interior lights dimmed, and scooted over until he was behind Kevin. Leaning forward, the brunet draped both arms around his boyfriend's shoulders and rested his chin on the seat. Encouraged by the mutant's contended hum, Ben leaned even closer to pressed a chaste kiss to Kevin's pale neck. Recalling his little wet dream back at the hotel, Kevin shuddered and tilted his head to exposed more neck.

Ben was a little surprised by Kevin's reaction, but he took the invitation for what it was and kissed the raven-haired teen's neck again with more force. Shifting forward again to reach better, Ben peppered his lover's neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses. Stretching Kevin's collar out with a little tug on his sleeve, the brunet kissed the junction between shoulder and neck, pausing nervously before nipping lightly at the taunt flesh there. Kevin gasped in both surprise and pleasure, tensing up under Ben's tentative ministrations.

Surprised by Kevin's reaction, Ben jumped as well, teeth dragging lightly across Kevin's shoulder. He was about to pull away when Kevin moaned faintly, Ben's name slipping from between his parted lips. The brunet felt a heat blossom in his belly, fire spreading outward and coiling tightly in his nether regions. His confidence restored by Kevin's faint pants, Ben assaulted the mutant's neck with a renewed sense of vigor. Nipping at that same spot again, he licked and kissed the area profusely and was about to latch his mouth onto the newly discovered tender spot when Kevin let out a startled hiss.

"Hey...Benji," The raven-haired teen ground out between pants, "You're drooling...all over my shirt." A quick glance at the mirror reflected Kevin's half-lidded eyes, clouded over with lust.

Ben grinned cheekily, rubbing his hands over Kevin's broad chest, "So? What are you gonna do about it?" He nuzzled his boyfriend's saliva-dampened shirt collar.

Breath evening out, Kevin retorted cockily, "I might have to _pound _you, Tennyson." He shifted in his seat, aware of his increasingly tight jeans. The brunet smirked.

"Shut up and get back here, Kevin."

Later, Ben would reflect that he had never seen Kevin move that quickly...Or clumsily. The mutant had struggled to climb over the gear box, resulting in him slipping and landing with his face in Ben's lap. Trying to play it cool, Kevin rubbed his cheek against Ben's crotch while attempting to right himself. When all limbs were properly sorted out and accounted for, Ben had found himself flattened against the window with a rather horny Kevin nibbling at his earlobe.

Shrugging out of his jacket, Ben grabbed his lover's hair and pulled him away, going for the tender spot he had found only moments before. Lips resting against Kevin's pale skin, Ben murmured quietly, "I wasn't finished here..." He kissed the spot sloppily before suckling greedily on the pale flesh. Kevin pushed him further against the window and grabbed the brunet's waist, sliding one hand down to cup Ben's ass.

Ben moaned against Kevin's shoulder, his fingers pulling harder at Kevin's hair. He pulled away from the abusing spot with an audible slurping sound and leaned back to survey his handiwork. Yep...Just high enough to require an explanation...Or some decent cover-up. Having been in possession of many such marks himself at some point or another, Ben felt rather smug. Revenge was sweet.

His victory was short lived, though, as Kevin slipped his hand below the tight waistband of Ben's jeans. Finding his hand stuck, trapped by the snug belt holding those jeans up, Kevin hissed in irritation and struggled with the buckle. Once that obstacle was taken care of, he took out the button and zipper to reach his prize. Squeezing Ben's smooth rear through the fabric of his boxers, Kevin trailed heated kisses down Ben's jaw line.

Ben groaned as the motion brought their groins closer together. Blindly, the brunet grappled with Kevin's jeans, fingers slipping off the smooth denim until he finally got a good grip and managed to unbutton them. The zipper went down next, and Ben cupped his lover's manhood through his boxers. Kevin moaned at the contact, thrusting into Ben's hand. Ben's thumb lingered over the elastic waistband, but something outside the rapidly fogging windows caught his eye.

Vision partially obscured by Kevin's hair, Ben pushed his head to the side a bit. Yes... that was definitely a blur of red hair moving through the crowd. Alarmed, he attempted to push Kevin off, but the larger boy refused to move. Now in full out panic mode, Ben began hissing worriedly, "Gwen's coming back! You don't—"

Kevin cut him off with a searing kiss, "_I _don't care if you don't." He rubbed his nose against Ben's, "Didn't you say you had enough secrets? Ten of 'em?"

Momentarily stunned, Ben could only blink for a moment. Gwen was drawing closer toe the Camaro, and would probably notice the steamy windows soon...Coming back to his senses, the brunet grinned.

What the hell, right?

"...Then let's give her a show." He purred seductively, dragging the tip of his tongue across Kevin's lower lip.

* * *

"Sorry, guys, the line was really..." She could only stare at the scene before her.

Ben ankles were locked around Kevin's back, devoid of anything resembling pants, with only a sock to show for his modesty. His shirt was hanging from one shoulder and his jacket was nowhere to be seen. One hand was buried securely in Kevin's hair, and the other one was out of sight, though Gwen had a good idea of where it might be.

As for Kevin...His black and gray shirts were trapped somewhere underneath Ben, and his rumpled undershirt was draped over Ben's wrist. In the pants department, Kevin was still wearing jeans, though Ben looked as though he was trying his best to solve that problem. One arm braced against the window and the other disappearing into the back of Ben's boxers, Gwen noted that he was now sporting a rather impressive hickey.

Both boys looked at her with an expression of irritation and disinterest, and Kevin cleared his throat loudly to snap her out of the trance she had fallen into. Flushing with embarrassment, Gwen staggered back and dropped the bucket of popcorn.

"I...I, uh..."

So much for articulacy.

Ben pulled himself into a sitting position, sliding one leg from around Kevin's waist to curl around his knee, "You, uh, what?"

The redhead swallowed, trying to regain her composure and failing, "I'll...leave you two alone." She slammed the door and fled.

Gasping for air, Gwen sat on the bumper on an old station wagon. Staring pointedly at the screen but not really seeing anything, the Anodite tried her hardest to ignore the green Camaro a few cars over, which had started rocking back and forth on its wheels.

* * *

I'm sorry, I was listening to that song and it just worked its way into the fic. I tried to make a limey make-out scene to make up for it. I don't know. This was the final chapter, by the way.

**P.S. J.T. and Cash are making out in the car she sat on. NOW THERE'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T UNSEE.**


End file.
